A man who had recently celebrated his 18th birthday was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Riverside church early Sunday, police said.

The shooting was reported in the 5600 block of Arlington Avenue about 1:15 a.m.

A preliminary investigation determined that the victim was walking with two friends in the parking lot Central Community Christian Church when they were confronted by the suspect, Riverside Police Department officials said in a news release.

A fight broke out and the shooter pulled out a handgun and shot the victim before leaving the scene, police said. Officials did not provide a description of the gunman except that he was male.

The teen was taken to a hospital where he eventually died.

The victim’s mother identified him as Luis Quintanar and said he had just celebrated his 18th birthday on Aug. 18. Police had previously said the victim was 17.

A friend who was with Quintanar, but did not want to be identified, told KTLA that the assailant shot a gun in the air and the victim told the shooter to “relax.”

He then walked up to Quintanar and shot him in the chest, the friend said.

Another friend, Edgar Gomez, said Quintanar was well-liked and had “friends all over the place.”

“He could go anywhere without having to look over his shoulder,” Gomez said of the victim.

A skateboard and items of clothing were on the street near the shooting Sunday morning. Family and friends built a memorial near the scene.

The gunman fled the scene after the shooting, according to the release.  A description of the shooter was not provided.

Detectives were canvassing the area looking for clues and investigators were also interviewing several witnesses in hopes of finding out what led up to the shooting. Police believe there may have been more witnesses who left the area before officers arrived.

Anyone with information about the incident can call Detective Mike O’Boyle at 951-353-7213 or Detective Dan Smith at 951-353-7103.